Prophecy

Truths of the Earliest Christianity that Mutated Leading to Formation of Later Divisions

Ian Johnson December 24, 2020 3 Comments

This is an outline of the first part of my attempt to link early errors of organized Christianity to the state of the modern world–specifically, in this part, by explaining some of the foundations of the earliest Christianity from which later errors diverged. Links will be added as future posts are written.

A God who Speaks, Adoption, Background Information, Church History, Islamic History and Secular History Interaction, Complex unity, Eternity Present, Free will, God Speaks to Us, God was never our enemy, God's Existence and Nature, God's purpose for us, God's sovereignty, His Children, His Friends, Historical Background, In the Church, Index, Meaning of Unity, Other Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Peril of Seeking Numbers, Peril of Seeking Power, Peril of Seeking Respectability, Prophecy, Purpose of the Church, Reconciliation, Regeneration, Restoration of God's Image, Salvation, Show us the Way of Truth, Sin, Sins versus sin, The Invisible God's Self-Existence, The universal Church and local churches, Through others, Through the church, To be his ambassadors, To be in his image, Topic Index, Trinity, What is God's Word, What is sin?

Christian Teachings, doctrine, Earliest Christianity, evangelism, Holy Spirit, Index, Jesus, Monotheism, pacifism, social order, war

The Scarecrow Fallacy

Ian Johnson December 7, 2020 5 Comments

To commit the “Scarecrow Fallacy,” which I have named after the Scarecrow character in the 1939 movie the Wizard of Oz, is to mistake a diploma for knowledge or a credential for God’s calling. God usually makes use of available formal education, and often acts through the organized Church’s mechanisms of licensure and ordination, but has never bound himself always to do so. It is possible to have a very powerful calling from God with no formal human recognition, and also, unfortunately too common to have excellent ministry credentials and no relationship with Jesus whatsoever.

A God who Speaks, God Speaks to Us, Heresy, Other Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Peril of Seeking Power, Prophecy, Social control and statecraft, The universal Church and local churches, Through others, Through the church, Uncategorized

been with Jesus, being with Jesus, Christian education, credential, credentialing, degree, diploma, education, fallacy, formal education, licensure, opinions of others, Scarecrow, Wizard of Oz

Prophets (New Testament)

Ian Johnson November 29, 2020 3 Comments

Prophets tell forth God’s words to an individual, church or situation, giving God’s perspective which is not plainly visible without God’s illumination. The purpose of prophecy is to edify the Church. Prediction of the future is not the essence of prophecy. Many great preachers were likely prophets, though not recognized as such. This function is still important to the Body, and therefore still present in it.

A God who Speaks, God Acts by Speaking, God Speaks to Us, God's purpose for us, God's Voice, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Prophecy, Through the church, To be his ambassadors, What is God's Word

correction, encouragement, guidance, illumination, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophets, Speak forth, Speaking Forth, warning

The Bad Example of Balaam

Ian Johnson August 10, 2020 6 Comments

Balaam spoke with God and was given a true revelation of the way God viewed the children of Israel, but misinterpreted it. reversing its true meaning, due to his own greed. God said he saw no iniquity in Jacob because he had chosen them; Baalam thought he meant that he had chosen Jacob because he saw no iniquity in them. The result was fatal for Baalam and the Midianites.

A God who Speaks, Divisions in the Church, Events and Signs, God Acts by Speaking, God Speaks to Us, Greed, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Prophecy, The place of visions, Through his enemies

Balaam, distorted truth, donkey, False prophet, false repentance, greed, grredy, Moab, Money, Prophecy, revealed truth, signs, talking donkey

From Early Christianity to Islam and Back — 1. The Earliest Christianity

Ian Johnson July 13, 2020 6 Comments

This post is the first in a series of six outlining a broad view of how things in the Church and the world got to be as they are now, including contributions early Christianity and Islam made to each other. This post attempts to outline the basic positions of early Christianity. Comments are invited!

A God who Speaks, Adoption, Background Information, Church purpose versus church growth, Complex unity, Conversation with God, Desire to have our own way, Emotions, Eternity Present, Free will, God Acts by Speaking, God Never Stopped Speaking, God Speaks to Us, God was never our enemy, God's Existence and Nature, God's purpose for us, God's rationality, God's sovereignty, God's Voice, His Children, His Friends, Historical Background, Human Rationality, Is forgiveness of sins the focus of salvation?, Jesus the Son, Knowing good and evil, Language and Speech, Logical thinking, Male and female, Other Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Prophecy, Reconciliation, Regeneration, Rejecting God, Restoration of God's Image, Salvation, Sin, Sins versus sin, Son of Man, The Bible, The Invisible God's Self-Existence, Through the church, To be his ambassadors, To be in his image, To live in unity, Trinity, Unity, What is God's Word, What is sin?

Christian history, Christianity, Christianity and Islam, doctrine, Early Christianity, History of Christianity, New Testament, New Testament Christianity

“Greater Works than These” was a Promise to the Apostles Together and Victory is Promised to the Church Together

Ian Johnson June 29, 2020 5 Comments

The promises of victory, of spiritual gifts, and of works greater than those Jesus did, were not made to us individually, but as members of a functioning Body. They are given for the express purpose of building us up together, in unity, and so revealing Christ to the world. They only function properly in that context.

A God who Speaks, Church purpose versus church growth, God Acts by Speaking, God Speaks to Us, In the Church, Meaning of Unity, Other Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Prophecy, Purpose of the Church, Restoration of God's Image, The universal Church and local churches, Through the church, To be his ambassadors, To live in unity, Victory

Apostles, Body of Christ, Church, Church together, Church unity, greater works than these, head, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Pentecost, under his feet, under our feet, victory

Hearing and Understanding God’s Voice is Dependent on Our Oneness

Ian Johnson June 21, 2020 5 Comments

God is not silent. He is always speaking, and has always spoken to humans. But the humans who recognize and understand his voice are members of his flock. And those who distance themselves from the flock, not living in unity, cannot accurately discern his voice.

A God who Speaks, God Acts by Speaking, God Speaks to Us, God's rationality, God's Voice, His Friends, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Prophecy, The Bible, Through the church, To live in unity, What is God's Word

Bible, Conversation with God, Dialog with God, History, Jacques Ellul, my sheep hear my voice, prophecy of Caiaphas

Answers to Some Reader Questions about Prayer, Prayer Burdens and National Sins

Ian Johnson June 7, 2020 2 Comments

A reader recently asked some very perceptive questions about my views concerning prayer, prayer burdens, and prayer for national sins. Here, I am publishing my answers to those questions. (The reader also asked some personal questions, which I omit from this posting): You asked: “Also that what matters is your relationship with the Lord not what denomination someone is or…
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A God who Speaks, An abuse of God's image, Conversation with God, Emotions, Events and Signs, God Speaks to Us, God's rationality, His Children, His Friends, Human Rationality, In prayer, Language and Speech, Personal Background, Prophecy, Rejecting God, Replacing Relationship with Morality, The Bible, To live in unity, Trusting sight over God's words

children, emotional relationship, eschatology, faith, fervent prayer, God speaks, Hearing God, Idolatry, loving God, national sins, Negative emotions, prayer, Question and Answer, Revelation, simplicity, spiritual blindness, spiritual sight, time, trust

The Period of High Creativity that Followed, 2000-2006

Ian Johnson April 27, 2020 2 Comments

He wants to talk us through doing his will, instructing us every step of the way, as we learn to trust him. He is the one with the whole picture. Learning to hear his voice and trust him is the whole point of our friendship (the word “relationship” is entirely too sterile) with him on the present earth. This is what restores his image in us. Accomplishing his work is only a by-product.

A God who Speaks, Conversation with God, God Speaks to Us, On speaking terms again, Personal Background, Prophecy, Restoration of God's Image, Social control and statecraft, The Bible, The place of visions, To be in his image, Trusting sight over God's words, What is God's Word

Asperger Syndrome, Creativity, Friendship with God, Futiity of Politics, Hearing God, Learning to Hear God, Trusting God, Worship

God’s Initial Response to my Strange Prayer for the Gift of Prophecy

Ian Johnson April 26, 2020 2 Comments

God said “yes” to my request in the year 2000 to exercise that gift. The prophecies I was given were intended to, and did, awe me into recognizing the seriousness of prophecy–and even more so as they seemingly have been fulfilled in the 20 years since.

God Acts by Speaking, God Speaks to Us, Language and Speech, Personal Background, Prophecy

Church, Clinton Administration, Common Good, Economy, Foretelling, Forthtelling, Holy Spirit, Idolatry, Poor, Prediction, Prophecy, Prophetic, Recession, Rich, Safety net, Year 2000

The Scarecrow Fallacy

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Prophets (New Testament)

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The Bad Example of Balaam

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From Early Christianity to Islam and Back — 1. The Earliest Christianity

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“Greater Works than These” was a Promise to the Apostles Together and Victory is Promised to the Church Together

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Hearing and Understanding God’s Voice is Dependent on Our Oneness

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Answers to Some Reader Questions about Prayer, Prayer Burdens and National Sins

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The Period of High Creativity that Followed, 2000-2006

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God’s Initial Response to my Strange Prayer for the Gift of Prophecy

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Prophecy

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